Frank Basile's If These Walls Could Tell: Ben Hur Building featuring Jos Holman at Storytelling Arts of Indiana

Storyteller Jos Homan shapes the history of the Ben-Hur Building in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Crawfordsville's Ben-Hur Building dates back to the early 1900s, when the fraternal benefit organization Tribe of Ben-Hur, founded in Crawfordsville and inspired by General Lew Wallace’s bestselling novel "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ," commissioned a new headquarters to reflect its national prominence. Designed by Herbert L. Bass & Co. of Indianapolis, the building opened in 1911 at Main and Water streets. Over the decades, it served as a hub of civic and commercial activity, housing offices, meeting rooms, retail space, and the organization’s headquarters. A 1940 renovation replaced the original white tile façade with black marble panels. By 2006, the building had fallen vacant, and multiple redevelopment efforts failed to move forward.

By 2021, nearly two decades of vacancy had left the building in severe disrepair, with extensive water damage from a failing roof and deterioration throughout the once-grand lobby and interior spaces. AP Development LLC began a comprehensive restoration that preserved historic features while adapting the building for modern use. Completed in June 2025, the project restored key elements including the original corridors, lobby, façade, and hardwood floors, while upgrading all major systems and adding a new accessible entrance. Craftsmen carefully restored the 1911/1940 lobby, including its staircase, lunch counter, revolving door, and elevator, and replicated missing historic elements based on original designs. The project introduced 49 modern apartments and repurposed the historic boardroom as a short-term rental.

Indiana Landmarks awarded AP Development LLC the 2026 Cook Cup for Outstanding Restoration for its $13 million transformation of the former Ben-Hur Building into apartments and meeting space, a project that revived one of Crawfordsville's most prominent downtown landmarks.

About the Artist Jos N. Holman is a dynamic storyteller, who brings the rich tradition of oral storytelling to life. He is a former children’s librarian who has an entire branch of the Tippecanoe County Public Library named for him. With a background in librarianship, Jos has a deep understanding of children’s literature and educational programming. Outside of the library, Jos is a community leader. He currently serves as Treasurer for the Greater Lafayette Chapter of Indiana Black Expo, where he advocates for African American youth and families. He believes that making a positive difference in people’s lives is a reward in itself.

About the Series Indiana Landmarks and Storytelling Arts of Indiana, with generous support from Frank and Katrina Basile, developed the If These Walls Could Tell Series in 2011 to honor the winners of the Cook Cup Award for Outstanding Restoration. These original stories inspired by historical Indiana buildings are about the people who have built, lived, worked, gathered and restored these vintage places.